By the way, why was Salman Khurshid the Defense Lawyer – and sympathizer – for SIMI, now Indian Mujahideen?

This was Union External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid’s remark on “Saffron Terror” and the BJP.

External affairs minister Salman Khurshid today backed home minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s statement on “Hindu terrorism” saying it was based “entirely on facts” made available by investigative agencies. He, however, said that terror has no religion and colour. “Let me just say this to you very clearly that our stated position, that is shared fully by the home minister and past home minister, is based entirely on facts as the investigative agencies have made available to the government,” Khurshid told reporters in New Delhi

Let us look at the background of our Foreign Minister and his track record.  In July of 2006, Salman Khurshid appeared before court as the Defense Lawyer for a banned and outlawed terrorist organization Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) – which had been involved in several bomb blasts and terrorist activities.

His appearance and defence of an organization which is an extension of the Jehadi outfits in Pakistan is very instructive.  Also read the hypocritical and rather facetious argument as to why he is defending SIMI – as if he is powerless to refuse a client.  At least, he could have come out with a better alibi.  But, what the heck, when a Jehadi sympathizer gets such an easy pass by the media, why should he work his brains harder?

It’s not a cut and dry case against SIMI though. When Congress leader Salman Khurshid, defending SIMI against the ban, approached the Supreme Court, his arguments were:

a) No reasons given for SIMI’s proscription

b) No evidence or any link found so far to connect SIMI with any terrorist activity

c) It is a cultural organisation.

d) It has not so far been found indulging in any terrorist or anti-national activity.

Khurshid appeared in the Supreme Court for SIMI on July 6 but the petition was withdrawn after the apex court made it clear that the appeal against the ban should be first argued before the tribunal established for the purposes.

Defending his role, Khurshid says, ‘‘I would refuse a client only when I am personally satisfied that taking up the case would go against the ethics of the profession. A lawyer has to appear for an accused. It is the constitutional duty. A party and the government too cannot pre-judge an organisation.’ (link)

So, the entire Intelligence Agencies input and conclusion is incorrect – and the Government, as per Salman Khurshid, cannot “PREJUDGE AN ORGANIZATION”, because of that Intelligence assessment and even convictions by the courts of the land.  We are talking about an OUTLAWED, BANNED TERRORIST ORGANIZATION, mind you.

And, Mr. Khurshid goes about not just pre-judging but presenting as fact, an opinion on an Organization – that is not just NOT banned.. but actually is the LARGEST OPPOSITION PARTY and its ally and none of the accused said to be affiliated with its related organization, the RSS, have even been convicted.  Unlike the members of SIMI.

SIMI has been involved in the following terror attacks: 2008 Ahmedabad bombings, 2008 Jaipur bombings, 2008 Delhi bombings, 2006 Mumbai train bombings

In 2008, when the present Congress Government was in power, an attempt was made by the Home Ministry to let the organization come out of ban.  The Home Ministry presented insufficient material, based on which the judge in Delhi High Court, took the ban off.  Until the Supreme Court put it back again.  The Home Minister was Shivraj Patil, under whom maximum terror bombings have happened in the last two decades.

A special tribunal headed by Justice Geeta Mittal, a sitting Delhi High Court judge, Tuesday lifted the ban on the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), saying there are no evidence to consider it was a terrorist organisation. “Material given by the home ministry is insufficient, so ban cannot be continued,” the judge said in a sealed order handed over to the ministry.

The judge was hearing the petition by SIMI, challenging the two-year ban imposed on it by the central government Feb 7, 2008. (link)

Who is Salman Khurshid?

Given the overwhelming evidence with the courts and the Government of the land, if Salman Khurshid, the current Foreign Minister – said in 2006, when Congress Government was in power (Shivraj Patil was the Home Minister) that the “party and Government cannot prejudge an organization”, he was:

1. Either saying the Administration and the Government agencies lied
2. Or, that he doesn’t care two hoots about the evidence against SIMI, he will defend them anyway

Given the extension of the ban on SIMI since then and more unearthing of evidence against it since then, it is obvious that #1 is not true.  So, it stands to reason that Mr. Salman Khurshid is actually a Jehadi Sympathizer.

Worse, given the context of his sympathies lying with Indian Mujahideen, which is the new form of erstwhile SIMI, his remarks against the Hindu Organizations are an outright Communal Act!!

There is no better way to say it, so let us say it the way it is – Salman Khurshid is an abettor of Terror, Defender of Jehadi Terrorists and Hindu-bashing communal guy.  First, he has no business to be representing India, and Second, for sympathizing with the Indian Mujahideen organization, he should be under the Intelligence scanner.

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This is the whole list of activities of SIMI.

2003

• 11 November: A court in New Delhi acquits SIMI president Shahid Badar Falah in a case of sedition, which was filed against him in September 2001.
• 12 September: Five persons, including two SIMI activists, are arrested for the removal of railway sleepers.
• 21 July: A POTA court in New Delhi sentences two SIMI activists to a five-year imprisonment under POTA for their membership of the proscribed organization and seven years imprisonment for sedition.
• 16 July: A POTA Court in Delhi convicts two SIMI activists for their active involvement with the banned outfit.
• 26 May: Mumbai Police arrest two suspected activists of the SIMI in the Ghatkopar bomb blast case and remand them to police custody till 5 June.
• 14 May: Mumbai Police arrest three persons from Padgah village and foil a plan that envisaged a series of explosions in Mumbai and Kerala, which was allegedly hatched by the SIMI and the Lashkar-e-Toiba.

2005

• 11 July: Police in Uttar Pradesh arrest six persons, from Faizabad in connection with the 5 July-attack on the disputed complex in Ayodhya. The arrested family members were associated with the banned SIMI, according to official sources.
• 11 June: All eight accused in the Ghatkopar blast case, allegedly cadres of the SIMI, are acquitted by a POTA court in Mumbai due to lack of evidence.
• 8 March: Delhi Police arrest a SIMI member, Mohammad Iftikar Ehsan Malick, from Dehradun.

2006

• 30 October: Noor-ul-Hooda, a SIMI activist, was arrested by the police for his alleged involvement in the 2006 Malegaon blasts. Authorities said the bombs used in the blasts were assembled in the garage of “main conspirator” Shabbir at Malegaon.^[12] Maharashtra police claims that 2006 Malegaon blasts were the handiwork of ex-SIMI members.^[13]
• 21 July: 3 men were arrested for the bombing in Mumbai, all three of them part of SIMI.
• 13 July: Mumbai Police arrested around 200 SIMI activists from different parts of Mumbai.
• 6 July: The Supreme Court rejects a plea by the Students Islamic Movement of India to lift the ban that the Government of India imposed on the organisation in 2001.
• 1 July: The Uttar Pradesh Government on 1 July withdrew a “treason” case against the banned SIMI president Dr Shahid Badr Falahi. The State Government order 26-21-wc-7-Nyaya 5-2006/10wc10-14-wc-2004 ordered the withdrawal of the case. A case was registered against him on charges of sedition, creating communal disharmony, inducement for armed struggle and hurting religious sentiments. The concerned authorities failed to substantiate these claims.

2007

• 15 February: The Supreme Court describes the banned Students Islamic Movement of India as a “secessionist movement.”^[14]

2008

• 27 March: SIMI Ex-General Secretary Safdar Nagori (Mahidpur), Amil Parvez(Unhel) arrested from Indore, along with 10 alleged members of the group by Madhya Pradesh State Police’s Special Task Force^[15]
• 26 July: Just a day after the serial blasts in Bangalore, 17 serial blasts ripped the city of Ahmedabad in the western state of Gujarat; for which too the outlawed SIMI or the IM claimed responsibility.
• 5 August: Delhi High Court Tribunal lifts ban on SIMI. The lifting of the ban was subsequently stayed by the Supreme Court of India on 6 August 2008.
• 13 September: A group calling itself the Indian Mujahideen claims responsibility for the serial blasts in New Delhi. 30 people were killed in these blasts & more than 90 injured.^[16]

2010

• 7 December: Islamic terrorist outfit Indian Mujahideen claims respon n n/knnmsibility for Varanasi bomb blast which claimed the life of a two-year old girl and left more than 30 people injured.^[17]

2012

Union government extended the ban imposed on Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) by two more years